May 18, 2016
CAIRO – General Joseph L. Lengyel, Chief of the United States National Guard, visited Cairo May 16-17 and met with senior Egyptian officials to discuss the importance of the U.S.-Egypt defense relationship and to explore means of strengthening the partnership between the two countries. General Lengyel expressed his gratitude for the role of the Egyptian Armed Forces in providing security for the Multi-National Forces Observer (MFO) mission in Sinai, in which U.S. Guardsmen have served since 2002.
“We have had excellent discussions about a range of issues,” General Lengyel said. “The discussions of disaster preparedness and response were especially useful as we were able to learn from the Egyptian experience in handling these challenges. I look forward to building on this and expanding our partnership in these areas.”
The National Guard is the primary combat reserve of the United States Army and U.S. Air Force. The National Guard has approximately 18,000 Soldiers and Airmen mobilized in support of missions worldwide. The Guard is also the United States’ primary military crisis response force. Guardsmen are prepared to respond to domestic threats in the United States, such as Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) attacks, large scale natural disasters, and cyber-attacks. For more information, please see www.nationalguard.mil.
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